Tire-changing mechanism



l. A. WEAVER. TIRE CHANGING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, my.

1,3417%. Patented June 1, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ll. A. WEAVER.

TIRE CHANGING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1919.

Patented June 1, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- omitted;

UNITE s'rarss IRA A. WEAVER, O SPRINGFIELD, LLINoIs', AssIcNoR TO WEAVERMANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A cORroRArION OFILLINOIS.

TIRE-CHANGING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Original applicatioitfiled October 17, 1917, Serial No. 197,010. Dividedand this application filed February 20, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'IRA A. 'WEAVER, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTire-Changing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved and novel means to facilitate thehandling of transversely-split or crosswise-divided expandible andcontractible vehiclewheel rims and their tires in the mounting of tiresthereon and their removal therefrom. The leading object of the inventionis the provision of an appliance of this character which is simple instructure, composed of few parts, economical to manufacture, unlikely tobecome damaged in service, and effective in the work which it isintended to accomplish.

Various features of novelty and advantage in an a pliance embodying thisinvention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from anunderstanding of a preferred embodiment of the invention, such as ispresented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification and throughout the various views of which like referencecharacters refer to the same parts, and also in the following detaileddescription of the construction and operation of such appliance.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device with the rim and its tire thereon;

Fig.2 is a fragmentary, vertical section on a reduced scale on line 22of Fig. 1, the parts being viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows, the rim and tire being Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detailed sectionillustrating the method of expanding a contracted rim; and l Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing the manner of contracting a rim to permit theremoval of the tire-shoe or casing.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the appliancecomprises a hollow standard 20 (Fig. 2) having an extended base 21(Fig. 1) adapted to rest on the floor and having near its top end anangular, tool-holding shelf or ledge 22. Above this is located astationary spider Serial No. 278,235.

has a longitudinal, undercut depression or groove 33 in its top surfaceaccommodating a screw-threaded shaft 34, a cylindrical inner end portionof which is received. in 'a bearing 35 in the hub 23. The end of eachsuch shaft, protruding into the interior of the hub, has a bevel-pinion36 (Fig. 2), the teeth of all three of which are in mesh with those oftheir common central gear 27.

Each spider-arm and its groove is provided with a rim-supporting member37 bearing and slidable lengthwise thereon and having an upwardextension or jaw 38 with a ribbed outer surface 39 adapted to coact withthe inner surface of the rim to be manipulated. Each of such slidableand unitedly expandible and contractible members has a pair of dependinglugs 40 and 41 accommodated in the corresponding channel 33 of the arm,the inner lug 40 having a cylindrical aperture for the reception of thecomplementary threaded shaft 34, the

outer lug. or ear 41 having a threaded bearing for the screw-threadedpart of the shaft.

The shaft 34 of the arm 25 is somewhat longer than the others, its outerend being revolubly accommodated in a bearing 42 simultaneously expandedor contracted by reason of their pinion connections with the commonbevel-gear 27 V To enable the appliance to quickly and easily contractcrosswise-split rims, such as are commonly used with straight-side tirecasings, each of the sliding jaws or members 37 is equipped with aninclined stud 98 (Fig. 4:) on which is revolubly mounted a concave orhook-like roller 99 avith an enlarged head and reduced neck portion, soas to enableit to engage and partly overlie the lower flange of the rimand prethree rollers 99 into engagement with and somewhat overlying thelower flange of the rim, the joint of the rim having been placed on oneof the members 37 adjacent to its roller 99. As the handle 43 is turnedfurther, these three rollers, which partly overlie the lower flange ofthe rim, causeit to contract, the roller near the joint breaking thelatter so that the ends of the rim become overlapped or oflsetpermitting removal of the tire. The rollers 99 not only contract therim, but owing to their hooklike formation they hold it from rising orshifting out of place by slightly overlying or overlapping its lowerflange, and, in addition, owing to their shape, they engage the undersurface of the tire casing and tend to free it from the rim.

When it becomes necessary to apply the casing to a transversely-splitrim, such rim and its casing are placed on the members 37 and then they,by the turning of the handle 43, are expanded, thus enlarging the rim,and when it is sufficiently distended its ends come into register oralinement and are locked or secured together in the usual way.

To those .skilled in this art many minor mechanical changes in theappliance will suggest themselves and these may be adopted Withoutdeparting from the essence of the invention and without sacrificing anyof its substantial benefits and advantages.

This application is a division of my earlier application Serial No.197,010, tire changers, filed October 17, 1917.

I claim:

1. In an appliance of the character de-' scribed, the combination of anupright standard, a support at the top of said members, and means onsaid members adapted to engage and overlie the inner face of the lowerflange only of a transversely-split vehicle-wheel rim on the appliance,whereby the rini may be contracted and prevented from rising through theinstrumentality of said flange-engaging means durlng the inward travelof sald members, substantially as described.

ward travel of said members, substantially as described. I

3. In an appliance of the character. described, the combination of anupright standard, a support at the top of said standard, a plurality ofmembers adapted to travel radially on said support, means tosimultaneously contract or expand said members, inclined studs on saidmembers, and concave rollers revoluble on said studs adapted to engageand overlie the inner face of the lower flange only of atransversely-split vehicle-wheel rim on the appliance, whereby the rimmay be contracted and prevented from rising through the instrumentalityof said rollers during the inward travel of said members, substantiallyas described.

4. In an appliance ofthe character described, the combination of anupright standard, a plurality'of radiating supporting arms at the top ofsaid standard, a plurality of members adapted to travel radially on saidarms and to engage the inner portion bf and expand a transversely-splitvehicle-wheel rim on the appliance during the outward travel of saidmembers, means to simultaneously contract or expand said members, andmeans on said members adapted to engage and overlie the inner face ofthe lower flange only of said rim, whereby the rim may be contracted andprevented from rising through the instrumentality of said means duringthe inward travel of said members,

substantially as described.

IRA A. WEAVER.

